--- title: See B.B. King's 1972 Photo Shoot for LIFE description: LIFE photographer John Shearer's images of the legendary musician, who died in Las Vegas on Thursday at the age of 89. canonical: https://time.com/3857528/b-b-king-photos-blues-music-life-john-shearer/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-15T06:11:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:06.914Z og:title: B.B. King's 1972 Photo Shoot for LIFE og:description: The legendary musician died in Las Vegas on Thursday at the age of 89. og:url: https://time.com/3857528/b-b-king-photos-blues-music-life-john-shearer/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc52fc41154a7639f/6987ef993c1639de78455fc2/150513-bb-king-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2302 og:image:height: 1295 og:image:alt: B.B. King Portrait, 1972 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: B.B. King's 1972 Photo Shoot for LIFE twitter:description: The legendary musician died in Las Vegas on Thursday at the age of 89. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc52fc41154a7639f/6987ef993c1639de78455fc2/150513-bb-king-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Remembering B.B. King, an Icon of the Blues > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: B.B. King Passes Away at 89 [Watch (HLS stream): B.B. King Passes Away at 89](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wbb1hKeu.m3u8) (1:22)  _Published 2015-05-15. Blues icon B.B. King has died at the age of 89, following a 20-year battle with diabetes._ by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff May 15, 2015 6:11 AM UTC  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff May 15, 2015 6:11 AM UTC One of the most celebrated figures in the world of music, blues master B.B. King, died in Las Vegas on Thursday at the age of 89, according to the Associated Press, citing King’s lawyer. The leading bluesman of his generation sold millions of albums over the course of his phenomenal career and was an inductee in both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His 2009 album, “One Kind Favor,” earned him his 15th Grammy. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Portrait of musician B.B. King in 1972. John Shearer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3857528/b-b-king-photos-blues-music-life-john-shearer/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3857528/b-b-king-photos-blues-music-life-john-shearer/"},"headline":"Remembering B.B. 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